Who is Keith Peaton?
I am a 65 y/o married resident of the Meadows, where my wife and I have lived since 2022. I have been active in Meadows’s tennis since 2016. I grew up from the 5th grade onward, attending Dunedin Middle, Junior and High Schools. I went on to study at Clearwater Junior college and University of South Florida (Tampa), Completed, both my AA and BSW degrees in just three (3) years, while working full time and playing college baseball.
My career began in social services, first as a Drug and alcohol counselor in a residential setting (DACCO)followed by serving as a Child Abuse investigator for Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS).
In 1985, I entered Law Enforcement when I was hired by St. Petersburg Police Department. Over the next 31 years, I served in a variety of roles, , including, Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Gang Intelligence Detective, Field Training Sergeant, Gang Intelligence Sergeant, DUI Sergeant and Street Sergeant. I spent 16 of my 31+ years at St. Pete in a supervisory position where I managed up to over 50 personnel in a shift. I retired from SPPD in 2016. After relocating to Sarasota Florida, I have been employed as a Police Officer at: Sarasota Bradenton Airport Police, Sarasota School Board Police Dept. in 2023, I retired ending my police career with 38 years in Policing in Florida.
My Takeaway:
My experience throughout life and in my career has taught me that you learn far more by staying quiet and truly listening before making decisions. I’ve certainly faced moments where quick, even life or death decisions were necessary, but whenever possible, we should approach situations without a predetermined outcome. We should rely on the resources, perspectives, and expertise available to us to guide sound decision – making.